Vietnamese and Chinese authorities joined hands to destroy more than 96 kilogrammes of drugs in Guangxi province’s Chongzuo city on June 24.

The drugs, including heroin, methamphetamine, and ecstasy, were seized during the two sides’ raids in the border areas.

Head of the anti-drug division under the Lang Son province Police Nguyen Ba Huong said Vietnamese and Chinese police have coordinated to counter cross-border drug crimes through various communications forms, such as meetings and talks between the relevant forces.

Meanwhile, Duan Ran, member of the standing committee of the Chongzuo party organisation, said the event illustrates the two countries’ joint efforts in the prevention work, as well as their resolve to cooperate to stamp out drug crimes and build a shared borderline of safety./.

Vietnam and Poland look to lift ties to new heights

Vietnam and Poland will lift their bilateral relations to new heights in the coming time as the two countries are planning activities to mark 75 years of their diplomacy in 2025.

The agreement was reached during a meeting in Dalian, China, on June 25, between Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Polish President Andrzej Duda, on the sidelines of the ongoing 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions of the World Economic Forum.

Chinh thanked Poland for providing its valuable support and assistance to Vietnam in national construction and defense, and affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to the development of traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Poland.

He proposed that the two countries maintain visit exchanges to further increase economic-trade-investment cooperation, as well as cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

Vietnam will facilitate the import of Poland’s strong products such as machinery and ships into its market, Chinh assured Duda.

He proposed that the two sides soon sign a preferential loan agreement for a project to build six offshore search and rescue ships for Vietnam, and to support Vietnam in training human resources in shipbuilding.

Chinh expected that Poland would continue to create favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in Poland to stabilize their lives, integrate well into their host country, and actively contribute to the socio-economic development of Poland, as well as to the good traditional friendship between Vietnam and Poland.

Duda for his part expressed his impression of Vietnam’s socio-economic development achievements, and emphasized that Vietnam is currently Poland’s largest partner in Southeast Asia.

He hoped that Vietnam would support Polish businesses in exporting their products to the country, while strengthening cooperation in new fields such as renewable energy and tourism.

At the meeting, the Polish President also praised Vietnamese expatriates for their active and practical contributions to their local community.

HCM City leader receives Australian official, businesses

Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Vo Van Hoan hosted a reception on June 24 for Australia’s Special Envoy for Southeast Asia Nicholas Moore who was accompanied by a delegation of Australian businesses in a visit to the city.

Hoan highlighted that the Vietnam-Australia friendship and cooperation have been thriving, especially with the upgrade of bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership in March, opening up a cooperation framework for businesses and people of the two sides in various fields.

The two sides discussed specific steps to take in the coming time to expand each other’s market access opportunities, aiming to realise initiatives that benefit both sides. This aligns with Australia's national strategy "Investment: Australia's Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040" to promote bilateral trade and investment between Australia and Southeast Asian countries.

Hoan affirmed that HCM City has the potential to effectively implement all the 10 strategic economic objectives for Southeast Asia by 2040 set by the Australian Government and the eight areas of enhanced cooperation between the two countries. They also match the city's dynamic changes, including green growth and digital transformation, which are global development trends, he added.

Expressing his impression at the dynamism and development of HCM City, Moore said that Australian businesses highly value the potential of the city and are interested in cooperation with the city.

During this visit, besides focusing on cooperation in digital economy development and startup support, the Australian delegation will establish priority groups in different investment areas such as fintech, high-tech agriculture, cybersecurity, and education in Vietnam. It will assist local businesses to find the most effective cooperation opportunities, aiming to realise initiatives that not only bring prosperity to both sides but also contribute to regional stability and prosperity.

As scheduled, on June 25, the Australian Consulate General in HCM City will hold an information session for Vietnamese localities and businesses interested in developing bilateral trade and investment with Australia. The session will be co-chair by Moore and Louise Adams, Australian Business Champion to Vietnam.

Indonesian media hails Vietnamese coastal destinations’ beauty

Indonesian newspaper Viva has published an article hailing the beauty of the two Vietnamese coastal destinations of Nha Trang of the southcentral coastal province of Khanh Hoa and Phu Quoc Island of the southern province of Kien Giang.

According to Viva, if visitors have plans to enjoy a family holiday in the summer, then they should go and discover the breathtaking beaches of both locations which are blessed with clear blue water and silky-smooth sand.

It reported that Vietnam has become one of the most favourite destinations among Indonesian tourists. In the first quarter of this year, the number of Indonesian tourists to Vietnam increased by 188% compared to the pre-pandemic level.

The Indonesian newspaper added that that direct flights between the two sides also made it more convenient for people to travel.

Located about 400km northeast of Ho Chi Minh City and over 1,200km south of Hanoi, Nha Trang boasts a beautiful beach and has established an expat community of about 4,000 people. Earlier, travel magazine Travel+Leisure also named the coastal city of Nha Trang as one of the eight best beach destinations for retirees.

Meanwhile, Phu Quoc Island is famous for its wild beauty, with its beaches famous for long stretches of soft sand coupled with calm turquoise waters. It was among the most favourite destinations in the rankings of international organizations.

Yonhap News dubbed Phu Quoc ‘Vietnam’s Maldives’, while Business Post praised the beautiful beaches on Phu Quoc, especially in the southern part of the island, from which people can see the sunset.

Vietnam, Cambodia tighten friendship, solidarity

A delegation of the Vietnamese Embassy and representative agencies in Cambodia, led by Ambassador Nguyen Huy Tang, on June 24 came to congratulate Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on the occasion of the 57th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries (June 24, 1967 - 2024).   

On behalf of leaders of the Cambodian ministry, Undersecretary of State Ung Rachana received the delegation.

Tang congratulated and highly evaluated Cambodia's achievements and development in recent times, especially over the past 45 years since the country overthrew the Pol Pot genocidal regime.

Tang appreciated the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia. For the last 57 years, the two countries have overcome challenges, constantly deepened their cooperation in all fields from politics, security, defence, economy, culture, education-training, science-technology to collaboration between ministries, localities and people-to-people exchanges.

Tang emphasised that the two countries’ diplomatic sectors have greatly contributed to the achievements.

He expressed his confidence that in the coming time, the two ministries of foreign affairs will continue to cooperate closely with each other both in bilateral and multilateral frameworks to enhance the prestige and position of the two countries on the international stage.

For his part, Ung Rachana congratulated Vietnam on its outstanding achievements in domestic and foreign affairs, as well as its strong economic development. He affirmed that Vietnam is always active and plays an increasing role in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and in the world.

He agreed with Tang on the need for the two sides to continue uniting together and cooperating closely to defeat all plots of hostile forces against the two countries and Vietnam-Cambodia relations.

The Cambodian official also agreed that the two sides should continue to maintain mutual support and assistance at multilateral forums.

He affirmed that he will continue to create favourable conditions for the Embassy and representative agencies of Vietnam in Cambodia to successfully complete their duties.

Ung Rachana suggested the two sides coordinate to well arrange visits by senior leaders of the two countries, as well as well organising the 21st meeting of the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Committee for Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation in Cambodia.

New case of monkeypox reported in Đồng Nai Province

The Đồng Nai Provincial Centre for Disease Control (CDC) has reported a new case of monkeypox in Trảng Bom district.

The patient has been identified as N.V.L., 28 years old, residing in Lộ Đức Hamlet, Hố Nai 3 Commune. He tested positive for the monkeypox virus on June 23.

On June 19 the patient was admitted to Thống Nhất General Hospital in Đồng Nai Province with a high fever and several pustules around a centimetre round on both lower legs, particularly below the knees, as well as on his palms, soles, back, face and genital area.

According to preliminary epidemiological investigations there has been no information indicating that the patient travelled abroad or had contact with foreigners. He currently lives with his parents and there have been no reports of similar symptoms among his household members.

Immediately after recording the case, the Đồng Nai CDC began an investigation into the patient's contact history over the past 21 days before the onset of the disease. The CDC also forwarded information about his contacts to the Pasteur Institute in Hồ Chí Minh City and the CDC in Tây Ninh Province for further investigation and verification.

The agency has intensified public awareness campaigns about the disease and provided recommendations for residents to understand and proactively prevent monkeypox.

The patient is currently isolating, receiving treatment and being monitored at Thống Nhất General Hospital in Đồng Nai. 

Quảng Ninh to install 10 more automatic rain measuring stations

The Quảng Ninh Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention, Search and Rescue will install 10 more automatic rain measuring stations to improve its ability to respond to natural disasters and climate change.

The province installed 20 automatic rain measuring stations in 2018, along rivers, streams and key flooding flash points.

The stations help by feeding back continuously updated rainfall levels, rather a reporting system which could take six hours to send back warnings about potential problems.

They will be particularly useful in helping localities better respond to the difficulties and challenges of natural disasters, especially the heavy rains experienced most recently.

Đoàn Mạnh Phương, Director of the Quảng Ninh Irrigation Sub-department, said that this year, the new monitoring stations would be installed to improve weather response and forecasting capacity especially during flood season.

"We will therefore have 30 stations, completing the province’s plan No 107, strengthening the provincial Party Committee's leadership on climate change. Since installation, these stations have operated smoothly and effectively, the amount of rain measured has been assessed at the right time so that people can have effective preventive plans," said Phương.

In addition to the rain warning system, Ba Chẽ District, which often suffers from unusually heavy rains followed by flooding, has nine flood warning stops along the Ba Chẽ River and reservoirs.

Khiếu Anh Tú, Deputy Chairman of Ba Chẽ District People's Committee, said that the warning system, which includes river level indicators and cameras had already proved effective, helping the district minimise damage caused by floods. 

Vietnamese in Czech Republic look toward homeland

The Thanh Hóa Fellow-countrymen Association in the Czech Republic held its 5th Congress and celebrated its 20th founding anniversary on June 23.

This is one of the earliest associations of this kind established in the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic with thousands of members doing business and living in most localities across the European country.

Throughout the last 20 years, members of the association have always demonstrated a spirit of solidarity, proactively integrated into the local community, effectively promoted the tradition of mutual support, and remained dedicated to building and developing the homeland.

Over the recent years, the community of expatriates from Thanh Hóa in the Czech Republic has consistently played an active role in charitable activities towards their homeland, especially contributions to developing Thanh Hoa into a socio-economic centre in the north-central region.

Addressing the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Dương Hoài Nam applauded the association’s efforts to integrate into the local community, and their spirit of mutual support and active contributions towards their homeland.

He said he hopes that the association will stay united, keep supporting each other in life and business, and actively contribute to the host community, thus building a positive image of Vietnamese people in the eyes of local people as well as other Europeans. 

Denmark and Việt Nam continue to improve diabetes diagnosis and treatment

Denmark will continue to help the Ministry of Health improve the quality of examination and treatment of chronic diseases, especially diabetes, towards a better quality of life for patients in Việt Nam as part of a Memorandum of Understanding signed on June 24.

The cooperation will be jointly implemented by the health ministry’s Medical Services Administration (MSA), with technical support from the Danish Embassy in Việt Nam and professional and financial support from the Vietnam Pediatric Association and Novo Nordisk Vietnam from June 2024 to June 2026.

The programme will focus activities on facilitating knowledge exchange, strengthening medical training, information exchange and experience sharing on non-communicable diseases, especially diabetes and obesity and developing and updating medical professional guidelines and addressing treatment gaps.

To improve medical capacity for all levels, including non-communicable disease prevention, the MSA has coordinated with the Danish Embassy in Việt Nam on a programme for medical training.

The programme has achieved remarkable results in improving the capacity of 4,500 general and specialised doctors nationwide on diabetes and obesity. The cooperation helped develop professional guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of type 2 diabetes, non-communicable diseases in the context of COVID-19, obesity and type 1 diabetes.

It also helped build a website to educate patients and the public about diabetes, developing educational materials and organising valuable online consultation sessions on non-communicable diseases for people.

Diabetes is a public health threat worldwide as well as in Việt Nam. According to statistics from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), in 2021, there are an estimated 537 million adults in the world living with diabetes. This number is expected to increase to 783 million people by 2045. However, up to half of people with diabetes are undiagnosed and many people are living with type 2 diabetes without being aware of their condition.

Type 1 diabetes accounts for 90 per cent of diabetes in children. In Việt Nam, there is currently no complete data on the epidemiology of type 1 diabetes in children. Data from children's tertiary hospitals shows that there are nearly 2,000 children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, an increasing number nationwide over the past seven years, according to the Ministry of Health.

Labour experts warn of fraud against workers wanting to head abroad

Sending workers to work abroad had many positive changes in the first six months this year, however, fraud in the export of labour still occurred, said managers.

Phạm Viết Hương, Deputy Director of the Department of Overseas Labour (DOLAB) under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), said that in the first six months of the year, the number of Vietnamese workers sent to work abroad under contracts had increased.

By June 19, more than 78,000 people went to work in another country, reaching 62.4 per cent of the year’s plan.

However fraud in the sector was still too frequent, was complex and sophisticated, he said.

Scammers often take advantage of some people's eagerness to quickly go abroad to defraud and appropriate their money.

Most recently, in mid-May, the MoLISA warned that a number of organisations and individuals were impersonating legitimate work agencies.

They pretended that they had been selected by the MoLISA and Australian Government to take workers to work in the Australian agriculture sector.

To try and prevent the problem, the MoLISA requested localities to give sufficient information and education to people to be vigilant against swindlers.

Hương said that along with coordination with media agencies to warn about the issue, the DOLAB also gave warnings about online frauds.

"In addition to educating them on legal regulations, we inform workers arising problems to reduce negative issues, thereby raising their awareness and minimising fraud,” said Hương.

Another common fraud came from organisations and individuals promising workers to help them pass the Korean language exam so that they would be sure to go to Korea to work.

Phạm Ngọc Lan, Deputy Director of the Overseas Labour Centre said: "Workers’ desire to find ways to pass the Korean language exam is a common need. But the programme that we are implementing is very transparent and fair for all workers. Therefore, no individual or organisation can improperly interfere."

To avoid falling into scams, workers are first asked to arm themselves with all the relevant information.

They should contact businesses that are licensed to send workers abroad at their official phone numbers and websites posted on the enterprises' licences and on the DOLAB’s website www.dolab.gov.vn.

The workers can also get information from the website of the Overseas Labour Centre at www.colab.gov.vn. 

Ministry to inspect illegal inland waterway ports

An overall inspection of illegal inland waterway ports is planned for next month until the end of this year, said the Việt Nam Inland Waterways Administration (VIWA).

The VIWA has submitted the plan to the Ministry of Transport for approval.

The general inspection of ports and inland waterway wharves on national and local waterways aims to assess the current status of the ports and waterway anchorage systems, especially the ones without licences, which might be unsafe.

The inspection results will serve as a basis for implementing solutions to tighten port and wharf management.

Statistics of the VIWA showed that by the end of last year, the country had 310 ports including 202 cargo ones, 11 passenger ones and 97 specialised ones, of which 274 were on the national waterways and 36 ones on local ways.

The total number of wharves nationwide is 6,062 including 3,114 on national routes and 1,667 on local routes, of which 1,271 operate without licences (959 on national routes and 315 on local routes).

The number of unlicensed ports and wharves is still increasing because localities have adjusted their inland waterway planning, so many wharves can no longer have their licences renewed.

In addition, lots of localities have not established and approved waterway traffic development plans, or the plans are not consistent with reality, causing difficulties for businesses and individuals wishing to open waterway ports.

The wharves without official licences and those whose paperwork has lapsed, are mixed up with those already have working licences, causing inequality in trading activities.

Watercraft entering and leaving illegal ports are not inspected, controlled and charged fees like vehicles at licensed ports. This is also a potential cause of traffic unsafety.

Therefore, the solution proposed and recommended by the VIWA is to introduce a new decree to replace Decree No 08 issued in 2021 regulating inland waterway management.

In the new decree, provincial People's Committees will supervise and close ports, wharves and anchorage areas that are not legally allowed to operate.

MOLISA proposes an increase in benefits for revolution contributors

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs has proposed that the Government issue a decree raising the standard allowance for individuals who contributed to the revolution from VNĐ2.05 million (US$80) to VNĐ2.78 million ($109) per month, an increase of 35.7 per cent.

The adjustment is set to take effect from 1 July this year.

The ministry said the new standard allowance was reported to the Politburo by the Government.

In terms of the nursing care benefits for individuals who contributed to the revolution, within the decree, the ministry submitted the increase to start from 1 January 2025 rather than 1 July this year.

The reasoning is to ensure uniformity in benefit disbursement throughout this year, necessitating the adjustment from the start of 2025.

At a regular meeting of the ministry earlier this month, Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Đào Ngọc Dung said the ministry was focusing on drafting three decrees concerning regional minimum wages, pensions , and payment guidance for contributors and social protection beneficiaries.

Minister of Home Affairs Phạm Thị Thanh Trà also said that according to the Government's proposal, millions of people would receive a 15 per cent increase in pensions and social insurance benefits from 1 July.

The adjustments to pensions, social insurance benefits and allowances for those who contributed to the revolution, were being implemented concurrently to ensure coherence with Resolution No. 28 of the 12th Party Central Committee and current legal regulations, she said.

To facilitate the policies, the Government has requested permission to expand the use of wage reform savings from both central and local budgets.

Beneficiaries of the revolutionary contributor allowances include those who engaged in revolutionary activities before 1 January 1945; those engaged in revolutionary activities from 1 January 1945 to the August Revolution in 1945; martyrs; Vietnamese heroic mothers; heroes of the People’s Armed Forces; labour heroes during the resistance; wounded soldiers and those receiving equivalent benefits; war invalids; individuals affected by toxic chemicals during the resistance; resistance fighters, national defenders and international duty performers captured and imprisoned by the enemy; resistance participants for national liberation, defence and international duty; relatives of revolutionary contributors. 

HCM City adds free-of-charge rest stop for motorbike taxi drivers

An additional new free-of-charge rest stop for motorbike taxi drivers has been opened in Thủ Đức city, raising the number to four in HCM City.

The city Labour Federation on June 21 launched a new free-of-charge rest stop for members of the traditional motorbike taxi driver syndicate and ride-hailing drivers in the city.

The rest stop is located at No. 245 Nguyễn Duy Trinh Street Thủ Đức city.

Drivers will be supported with free-of-charge water, wifi service and battery plug connectors and offered a 35 per cent discount for changing motorbike oil.

For the occasion, the Centre for Social Affairs under the city Labour Union and the Labour Union of the HCM City University of Agriculture and Forestry presented two saving accounts totaling VNĐ50 million (US$1,965) each for drivers with severe diseases.

Some 50 drivers will have a chance to receive free oil for motorbikes.

The four rest stops are located in districts Bình Tân and 7, and Thủ Đức city

Three rest stops are for traditional and tech-based motorbike taxi drivers, while one gives priority to drivers of four-wheeled vehicles.

The city is home to about 11,000 members of the traditional motorbike taxi driver syndicate. 

Vĩnh Long Province’s free swimming classes help prevent children drowning

Vĩnh Long Province is opening many free swimming lessons for children during this summer vacation to reduce the risk of drowning accidents.

The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province has a dense river and canal network, and this poses a risk for children who can not swim, especially during the summer vacation when they go out to play and are exposed to water.

To prevent and control drowning accidents, the province’s Youth Union and the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and relevant agencies have organised many free swimming classes for children and implemented advocacy activities to enhance public awareness about protecting children from injuries and drowning accidents.

This summer vacation, the department has granted funds for localities to organise 52 free swimming classes for nearly 1,600 children.

Phan Hồng Hạnh, its deputy director, said: “The major reason for child drowning accidents relates to the awareness of drowning danger and risk. Therefore, advocacy activities to enhance awareness of people who take care of children should be strengthened.”

The province has many households living near rivers, canals and ponds, and adults should be taught about child drowning and provided skills to take care of children better, according to Hạnh.

The province has organised diversified swimming classes taught in registered swimming pools, temporary composite swimming pools, rivers and canals.

It has 30 registered swimming pools.

At the Loan Mỹ B Primary School in Tam Bình District’s Loan Mỹ Commune, the district’s Division of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and Youth Union is opening a swimming class for 40 students.

The school does not have a swimming pool, so the students are taught swimming skills in the river in front of the school.

Huỳnh Anh Tuấn, who teaches swimming at the school, said: “The class aims to provide the students swimming skills and self-protection techniques in a water environment, especially preventing drowning accidents.”

Huỳnh Ngọc Thịnh, a student in the swimming class, said when she went into the river for the first time she was scared and did not dare to swim.

“Thanks to swimming teachers, I can now float on the water, swim and dive. I will try to study swimming better to secure my safety when exposed to river and water environments,” she said.

In Trà Ôn District’s Hoà Bình Commune, the district’s Division of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and Youth Union is holding a swimming class for 50 students.

They rent a swimming pool and encourage swimming teachers and Youth Union members to participate in teaching swimming and safety skills to the students.

Trần Thị Hải Yến in Hoà Bình has two children but they can not swim and she worries about this, so she let them join the class.

“The class is very useful. I hope there will be classes like this in the following years so children can have a playground during the summer vacation, to exercise and develop their swimming skills," she said.

Đinh Văn Giàu, deputy secretary of the Trà Ôn Youth Union, said the district would mobilise various sources to open more classes of swimming and self-protection skills to help children have useful and fun summer vacations.

The province has had 13 cases of children drowning so far this year, according to the department.

Putting victims at the centre of combating human trafficking: National Assembly

The National Assembly (NA) on Monday morning discussed a draft amended Law on Human Trafficking Prevention and Control, during their seventh session.

Deputy Trịnh Thị Tú Anh, from the Central Highlands province of Lâm Đồng, asserted that the law's more comprehensive amendment better implemented Việt Nam's membership responsibilities under international treaties.

The draft amended law contains a system of articles and clauses regulating the rights of victims, protecting the victims and their relatives, showing enhanced rights and protections compared to the existing Law on Human Trafficking Prevention and Control from 2011.

She proposed adding regulations on relatives of victims and people being identified as victims to Clause 11, Article 3, to ensure privacy and avoid causing harm or danger to them later.

She also suggested adding protection measures for relatives of victims and the ones being identified as victims.

Regarding gender equality, deputy Tráng A Dương, from Hà Giang northern mountainous province, said that the draft amended law clearly demonstrated the principle.

The amended law has regulations on respecting legal rights and interests, not discriminating against victims, and on education to prevent and combat human trafficking.

But, he believes that the regulations are not clear on gender issues in preventing and combating human trafficking. Women and girls are more vulnerable to sexual trafficking, while male child victims will be targeted by traffickers for labour exploitation and criminal activities. The injuries of male and female victims were also quite different in terms of severity, he said.

Therefore, Dương wanted to supplement the principle of ensuring gender equality and a victim-centred approach in preventing and combating human trafficking.

Several deputies wanted to expand the scope of the draft amended law, to include trading in fetuses and illegal labour exploitation.

Delegate Trần Khánh Thu, from Thái Bình northern province, cited a report from the Ministry of Public Security showing that in the five years from 2018 to 2022, the country detected 394 cases with 837 people violating the laws related to human trafficking.

In the previous period from 2012 to 2020, human trafficking was mainly abroad, accounting for over 80 per cent of cases, more recently more human trafficking cases happened in the country.

In 2022 alone, the number of domestic cases accounted for 45 per cent of the total.

"Human trafficking is identified by the United Nations as one of the four most dangerous crimes in the world. Today with technology development, traffickers only need to sit in one location and use Zalo and Facebook networks to connect, lure people abroad or exchange victims for sale domestically,” said Thu.

Therefore, to increase the effectiveness and efficiency in the fight against human trafficking, amending and supplementing the law was necessary, she said.

According to Thu, a new criminal behaviour involves trading in fetuses in the womb.

The fetuses trading begins from the time of pregnancy until the child is not yet born. According to Việt Nam's current criminal law, a child is only considered human and has citizenship rights when he or she is born. While still in the womb, one cannot be considered a human being and is not yet the victim of a crime.

Therefore, the authorities have no legal basis to handle the act of buying and selling fetuses and at present, this has happened in many localities, is a dangerous act for society and violates ethics, good customs and traditions.

Thus, it is necessary to supplement criminal prosecution against fetal trading.

The NA on Monday approved the revised Law on the Organisation of People's Courts, with 94.25 per cent of the participating deputies voting in favour.

The freshly-passed law consists of nine chapters and 152 articles, introducing new policies and regulations on the organisation and operation of the courts, while also pertaining to various agencies such as investigation, procuracy and civil judgment enforcement agencies. It also interacts with multiple procedural laws.

At the meeting, part of the NA's ongoing seventh session, Chairwoman of the NA's Committee for Judicial Affairs Lê Thị Nga reported that the NA Standing Committee issued a full report on June 22, providing explanations on and revisions to the draft for further review and approval. Earlier, in a dispatch dated June 20, the Supreme People's Court concurred with the entire content of the bill and gave several opinions about the explanation report.

The draft law maintains the current regulations regarding province and district level People's Courts.

Among the adjusted provisions, it permits audio recording of the entire court proceedings and meetings, while video recording is restricted to the opening of trials and announcement of judgments.

Recording activities require the consent of the presiding judge and relevant parties as stipulated. 

Over $9 billion needed to upgrade expressways for traffic safety

More than VNĐ247 trillion (US$9 billion) is needed to upgrade 28 expressways in terms of traffic safety, according to a recent report from the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI).

Resources will be prioritised to upgrade completed or ongoing two-lane expressway projects to four-lane roads and areas prone to accidents or traffic congestion, especially on the eastern section of the North-South Expressway.

PPP (public-private partnership) projects are also eligible for an upgrade if their specific funding and investment procedures permit.

“The investment must align with the funding sources, balance and disbursement, in accordance with the annual and medium-term public investment plans of the State and local budgets as well as the current laws,” reads the MPI’s document.

The 28 projects proposed for investment include public investment projects, PPP projects and projects managed by the state-owned Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC).

The 23 public investment projects include expressways that are in operation (Cam Lộ-La Sơn, La Sơn-Hòa Liên, Cao Bồ-Mai Sơn, Mai Sơn-National Route 45, National Route 45-Nghi Sơn, Nghi Sơn-Diễn Châu, Diễn Châu-Bãi Vọt, Nha Trang-Cam Lâm, Cam Lâm-Vĩnh Hảo, Vĩnh Hảo-Phan Thiết, Phan Thiết-Dầu Giây) and those under construction (Tuyên Quang-Hà Giang, Bãi Vọt-Hàm Nghi, Hàm Nghi-Vũng Áng, Vũng Áng-Bùng, Bùng-Vạn Ninh, Vạn Ninh-Cam Lộ, Quảng Ngãi-Hoài Nhơn, Hoài Nhơn-Quy Nhơn, Quy Nhơn-Chí Thạnh, Chí Thạnh-Vân Phong, Vân Phong-Nha Trang).

The two PPP projects in the proposal are Hoà Lạc-Hòa Bình and HCM City-Trung Lương-Mỹ Thuận.

The three VEC-run projects are Hà Nội-Lào Cai (at the Yên Bái-Lào Cai section), HCM City-Long Thành-Dầu Giây and Cầu Giẽ-Ninh Bình.

According to the MPI, more than VNĐ15.5 trillion ($608.7 million) can be deployed from the medium-term public investment plan for 2021-2025 due to increased budget revenues in 2022 and 2023.

The ministry also proposed that the Prime Minister consider approving a government bond package of approximately VNĐ165 trillion ($6.5 billion) for public transportation projects.

The transport ministry should also prioritise scaling up the four-lane projects on the North-South Expressway to respond to the passenger and goods transportation demands with a long-term vision of over 20 years, the MPI’s document states. 

Bắc Giang Province promotes ginseng sales

A conference to promote the sale of Dành Mountain ginseng in both domestic and international markets has taken place at Liên Chung Commune, Tân Yên District in the northern province of Bắc Giang.

The conference served as a platform to introduce the origins, quality, cultivation and processing methods of the renowned Dành Mountain ginseng.

It also provided an opportunity for domestic and international businesses and traders to connect with producers, explore partnership opportunities and sign sales contracts.

Dành Mountain ginseng is one of the most valued medicinal plants of Tân Yên District. The local People's Committee has directed efforts to develop, enhance the value and establish it as a distinctive local product.

This plant is renowned for its exceptional quality, said to be on par with Korean ginseng. According to locals, Dành Mountain ginseng was even a tribute item presented to the emperors and it is believed to have healing properties that could treat the eye ailments of Emperor Tự Đức's mother.

Tân Yên District currently has around 125 hectares of Dành Mountain ginseng under cultivation, located across the communes of Việt Lập, Liên Chung, and Cao Thượng Town.

In 2024, the district is expected to harvest about 30 tonnes of ginseng roots and over 60 tonnes of flowers, across a season which occurs annually from August 15 to September 30.

The Dành Mountain ginseng has been leveraged to create a wide array of processed products, including fresh ginseng flowers and roots, ginseng tea, ginseng-infused shampoo, dissolvable ginseng powder and ginseng wine.

Such products are now being distributed and sold through major retail channels such as Mega Market, the Go supermarket chain, the Shopee ecommerce platform, as well as through pharmaceutical companies, confectioners and energy drink manufacturers.

According to Ngô Quốc Hưng, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Tân Yên District, the Dành Mountain ginseng, boasts exceptional quality, nutritional value and can be trusted by discerning consumers.

The locality has pledged to create the most favourable conditions to support local ginseng growers, as well as domestic and international enterprises and traders involved in the harvesting, processing and marketing of Dành Mountain ginseng.

They will also provide the best possible logistical and support services and ensure public security, traffic safety and the delivery of other essential services.

According to Dr Đồng Thị Kim Cúc, Deputy Director of the High-Tech Biology Experiment Centre at the Vietnam Agricultural Genetics Institute, the quality of Dành Mountain ginseng is closely tied to the age of the plants.

The key chemical constituents identified in the ginseng samples include saponins, flavonoids, organic acids, amino acids and saccharides.

Notably, its saponin content is comparable to that of Korean ginseng and for seven or eight year old Dành ginseng plants, the saponin levels are actually 1.5 times higher its Korean counterparts.

David Trần, the ASEAN Regional Director of the US-based Ibenetor Group, expressed the company's enthusiasm to collaborate on commercialising products derived from Dành Mountain ginseng.

He cited the scientific research confirming the exceptionally high saponin content in Dành Mountain ginseng. This, he noted, presents significant opportunities to develop a wide range of highly nutritious and health-promoting products from this premium ginseng variety.

Ibenetor, as a leading global health and wellness company, is eager to work with local partners to bring Bắc Giang's specialty to consumers in Việt Nam as well as international markets.

The company is particularly targeting the ASEAN region and the US as key focus areas for the distribution and sale of Dành Mountain ginseng-based products.

The conference brought forward several key recommendations to further develop and promote Bắc Giang’s medicinal specialty, like establishing concentrated cultivation areas to optimise production, ramping up promotional efforts across various media and social media platforms and linking up individual growers, cooperatives and domestic/international enterprises.

Other recommendations included providing training to local farmers on best practices for ginseng cultivation and care, with a focus on organic production with community-based tourism.

Football tournament for Vietnamese in Russia kicks off

A football tournament opened for the Vietnamese community in Russia, at Bratislava Park in Moscow on June 24.

The much anticipated event aims to mark the 20th anniversary of the Vietnamese association in Russia. It attracts the participation of 16 teams with nearly 550 players and coaches.

Speaking at the event, Tran Phu Thuan, Standing Vice Chairman of the association and head of the organising board, said the tournament creates a healthy playground for the community.

Minister Counselor Le Quang Anh said this is one of the most important community events in 2024, as it takes place right after the official visit to Vietnam by President Vladimir Putin.

After the opening ceremony, there were two matches betweeen FC Friends and FC Phuong Dong, and Moscow Youth FC and FC Hai Phong./.

2024 Hue Community Ao Dai Week launched

The 2024 Hue Community Ao Dai (long dress) Week was launched on June 24 in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, aiming to preserving and promoting the beauty of the Vietnamese traditional costume.

Director of the provincial Department of Culture and Sports Phan Thanh Hai emphasised that the event will not only help people and tourists access and better understand ‘ao dai’ but also contribute to educating the love for the traditional cultural values of the nation, promoting culture, attracting tourism, and boosting socio-economic development.

The programme, which will last to June 30, includes a wide range of activities, such as a fine art exhibition and space for experiencing, displaying the tailoring skills of artisans from the three regions, a pilgrimage to the tomb of Lord Nguyen Phuc Khoat who "gave birth" to ‘ao dai’, the introduction of a book on five-flap ‘ao dai’, a seminar on standardising the traditional costume, an ‘ao dai’ design and performance contest featuring 12 Zodiac motifs on postage stamps, and a cycling for the environment.

Response activities are expected to be implemented in agencies, units and schools across the province.

Nguyen Phong, from the Hue garment association, said that not only known as the birthplace of the five-flap ‘ao dai’, Hue is also renowned for its traditional craft of making the traditional costume./.

Belgium golf tournament held to raise funds for Vietnamese AO victims

The 11th Vietnamese Ambassador’s Golf Cup has been held in Genappe town of Belgium, aiming to raise funds for Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin victims in Hoi An city, the central province of Quang Nam.

The event, jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Belgium and Chris Geyskens, Chairwoman of the Belgium chapter of the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange (VAVA) in Hoi An, drew the participation of 62 golfers from Belgium, Vietnam and Luxembourg.

Addressing the event, Ambassador Nguyen Van Thao lauded Geyskens's initiative and tireless efforts over the past decade to organise the golf tournament and raise funds in support of AO victims in Vietnam.

Her contributions have contributed significantly to helping AO victims improve their lives, and strengthening friendship and understanding between Vietnam and Belgium, he said.

An exchange of 30 businessmen, diplomats, Vietnamese, and Belgian friends was also held within the framework of the event, offering an opportunity for them to learn about investment and business opportunities in Vietnam and promote the country's image to international friends.

Visitors to the tournament were also treated to traditional musical instrument performances which aim to promote Vietnamese culture.

A total of 307.4 million VND (12,114 USD) was raised during last year's tournament./.

Japan proposes Vietnam revise maximum residue limits for some agricultural chemicals

Japan has suggested Vietnam revise the maximum residue limits (MRLs) for certain agricultural chemicals, according to the Office of the Vietnam Sanitary and Phytosanitary Notification Authority and Enquiry Point (SPS Vietnam).

The office on June 24 sent a document to the Plant Protection Department under the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development regarding the proposal.

Accordingly, Japan suggested increasing the MRLs of Isopyrazam, a broad-spectrum foliar fungicide; and Hexaconazole, a sterol biosynthesis inhibitor; with the specific revisions depending on products.

However, for Benthiavalicarb-isopropyl, a new valinamide carbamate type of fungicide, the country said its limits should be reduced for spring onion (including leek), eggplant and other nightshade vegetables (except for tomato and sweet pepper), and yellow and green lemon.

Meanwhile, the limits for spinach and herbs (except for watercress, chives, parsley stems and leaves, and celery stems and leaves) will rise from 0 ppm to 10 ppm./.

Embassy advises Vietnamese citizens in Lebanon amid Israel-Hezbollah escalating tensions

The Vietnamese Embassy in Egypt and Lebanon on June 24 warned Vietnamese citizens who are working and living in Lebanon not to travel to unsafe areas or crowded places in the context of escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah force.

According to the embassy, there are currently eight Vietnamese citizens living in Lebanon, mainly in the capital of Beirut and surrounding areas. The lives of the Vietnamese citizens here are temporarily unaffected by the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Since the outbreak of tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, the embassy has regularly kept in touch with the Vietnamese citizens in Lebanon and learned that their lives are still going on normally.

The embassy has devised plans in case tensions escalate and is ready to coordinate with relevant agencies to carry out the evacuation or citizen protection if needed. It will continue to closely monitor, regularly contact and encourage the citizens and request the Honorary Consul to follow the situation and promptly make a report in case of emergencies.

The Vietnamese citizens living in Lebanon or their relatives can contact the Vietnamese Embassy in Egypt and Lebanon through the hotline 20 102 613 9869, or the Honorary Consular Office of Vietnam in Lebanon 961 70 229 300 in case they need help./.

Vietnamese women’s union in Hungary praised for contributions to community

The Vietnamese Women’s Union in Hungary has been praised for its contributions to the Vietnamese community in the host country over the past 20 years.

Speaking at a ceremony held on June 23 to mark the 20th founding anniversary of the union, Vietnamese Ambassador to Hungary Nguyen Thi Bich Thao affirmed that the union is an indispensable part of the activities of the Vietnamese community in Hungary. The union established itself a very good reputation with the Hungarian administration and society, and has many initiatives in promoting the image of Vietnam.

In her congratulatory letter, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang, who is also Chairwoman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, praised the union's positive contributions to community connectivity over the past 20 years with many exciting and effective activities.

It has effectively connected its members and associations not only in the host country but also in Europe, helping to enhance the image and reputation of Vietnamese women abroad in particular and the Vietnamese community in general.

On this occasion, the union and its President Phan Bich Thien, were awarded Certificates of merit by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

At the celebration, Ambassador Nguyen Thi Bich Thao also presented Certificates of merit to the union's members who have made positive contributions to its activities./.

Fencers to vie for Asian championship medals

Vietnamese athletes are competing at the Asian Fencing Championships' épee events in Kuwait.

National champion Nguyen Phuoc Den and four teammates Hoang Nhat Nam, Nguyen Minh Hieu and Phoong Thanh Cam will vie for medals in the men's individual and team categories.

Having no international tournaments in 2024, Vietnamese fencers have been unable to improve in their rankings. They have to face with big challenges in their draws.

Former Olympic participant Den, world No 59, will play against No 6 Akira Komata of Japan in the first match.

Cam will play No 4 seed Elmir Alimzhanov of Kazakhstan.

Nam is the Vietnamese with highest place of No 31. He will meet No 34 Yuhan Xiu of China, who is considered a fencer in the same level with Nam.

The team event will be held on June 26.

The Asian tournament features competitions in men's and women's individual and team sabre, épee and foil. It will close on June 28./.

Vessel monitoring system should be inspected thoroughly

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in the central province of Quang Tri province has proposed the Directorate of Fisheries (DoF) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development resolve some outstanding issues relating to vessel monitoring system (VMS) on fishing boats in an concerted effort to prevent illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The VMS quality should be strictly inspected before providing it to fishermen to avoid problems, it said.

The unit in charge of installing the VMS has been requested to put in place a warning system when the VMS is broken and disconnected so that the boat’s captain can detect, fix it or report its location to the fisheries sub-department.

In mid-April, due to a satellite error, many fishing boats of Quang Tri that installed the VMS of Vietnam Telecom Services Company (Vinaphone) suffered loss of connection, affecting fishermen’s operation.

To deal with the problem, the department required units and localities to notify and guide owners and captains of such boats to implement temporary solutions.

It is necessary to issue a technical guidance for handling fishing vessels that do not maintain connection to VMS devices and those that infringe foreign waters, it said.

The department also suggested allowing the head of local fisheries management agency to impose administrative sanctions against violating fishing vessels in accordance with the 2017 Fisheries Law and its guiding documents./.

Lao-Vietnamese bilingual language school wraps up successful school year

The Nguyen Du Lao-Vietnamese bilingual language school in Vientiane held a ceremony on June 24 to close the 2023-2024 school year.

Besides the school’s teachers, students and their parents, the ceremony also saw the attendance of representatives from the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos, the Vietnamese General Association in Laos, the Vietnamese people’s association in Vientiane and Lao agencies.

Principal of the school Sivanhueang Phengkhammay said that the ceremony was also a farewell to 12th graders, most of them had attended the school for years.

She hoped that the students will become good citizens and make contributions to the country.

In the 2023-2024 school year, the school reaped achievements. The number of students with excellent/good performance is higher than that of previous years. The school’s students got three first prizes, one second prize and two third prizes at the district’s contests together with many good results that helped realise the school’s plan and increase its reputation.

The school is a place for children of Vietnamese expatriates in Vientiane to study after the Lao national curriculum along with the Vietnamese language.

In 2005, Vietnam offered over 500,000 USD in funding to build the school. Currently, it has 66 teachers and over 1,000 students from kindergarten to the 12th grade. The Vietnamese students account for about 30%.

Bui Thi Oanh, a 12th grader, said that she has had many good memories at the school where she studied and joined activities with friends and teachers.

She said the school is a symbol of the Lao-Vietnam solidarity and nurtures dreams of many generations of students of the two countries./.

Vietnam, Indonesia cooperate in clean water management

The Vietnam Water Supply and Sewerage Association (VWSA) and the authorities of Indonesia’s South Sumatra province have signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the management of local clean water.

The document was inked by South Sumatra Acting Governor Agus Fatoni and VWSA Chairman Nguyen Ngoc Diep in Palembang city of South Sumatra on June 22, Indonesia’s Antara news agency reported.

Fatoni said the two sides discussed further the potential for bilateral water cooperation as well as the management of drinking water, stressing it is important to continue pursuing such cooperation and expanding it to the areas of human resources and technology as well as other aspects.

Apart from the signing of the MoU, representatives of the local authorities accompanied the Vietnamese delegation during a visit to PT TSM in Palembang, one of the regional government owned drinking water companies.

Diep said Vietnam and Indonesia have been maintaining harmonious relations, noting that the latter stands among the largest economies in the Southeast Asian region.

As a G20 member country, Indonesia's economy and population are among the most prominent at the Asian level, he added.

Diep went on to say that Indonesia and Vietnam have been enjoying promising cooperation schemes related to investment, and suggested the two countries tap into the potential for investment cooperation in the water industry.

Furthermore, the Vietnamese delegate expressed his hope that the VWSA's visit to South Sumatra would lead to better management and provision of clean water./.

President Vladimir Putin hails Vietnam talks as constructive, productive

Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a letter of thanks to General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and State President To Lam after his state visit to Vietnam on June 19-20, affirming that his talks in Vietnam were truly constructive and productive.

"Our talks were truly constructive and productive. I am confident that the implementation of the achieved bilateral agreements will help to further strengthen the relations of comprehensive strategic partnership," says the translated version by TASS news agency of Putin's message posted on the Kremlin’s website.

"I expect that active joint work on key issues on the bilateral and international agenda will be continued," Putin said.

He thanked the Vietnamese leadership “for a warm welcome and unforgettable hospitality,” affirming that the trip gave him the kindest impressions.

“I wish you good health and new achievements for the benefit of the friendly Vietnamese people," Putin added./.